Crime fiction, and more.

April 09, 2009

American Girl, Italian Nightmare, and a Update on Mario Spezi

Saturday night on CBS, "48 Hours" will air a segment on the ongoing trial of 21-year-old Amanda Knox, who stands accused of murdering her roommate Meredith Kercher on November 2, 2007 in Perugia. The case has provoked a considerable amount of media attention and notoriety ever since prosecutor Giuliano Mignini accused Knox of murdering Kercher in the midst of a drug-filled sex orgy gone wrong, and the piece, by Peter Van Sant, asks some equally provocative questions about whether Knox is being falsely prosecuted for the crime.

Douglas Preston will also be interviewed on the show, for he has firsthand experience of Mignini's tactics as it related to his work on the book that became the NYT bestseller THE MONSTER OF FLORENCE, co-written with Mario Spezi. And here I have frustrating and sad news to report. Three years ago, Spezi was arrested, accused of being a conspirator in the Monster of Florence case, and though he was eventually released - and Mignini reprimanded for his actions - things have worsened for Spezi since the book came out last summer, when he flew to New York to participate in various promotional appearances with Preston (including a panel I moderated at Bryant Park's lunchtime reading series) who reports the following in a email sent around today:

Mignini just a few weeks ago filed a new round of charges against
Spezi. These include murder (yet again), as well as disturbing public
order by means of the press, “vilification” of a public figure
(himself), and using the press to obstruct justice. These charges stem
from the fact that Mario, in his capacity as a journalist, wrote pieces
critical of Mignini’s investigations in the Knox case and in the
Monster of Florence serial killings.

In addition to ruining the life of an innocent American girl, Mignini’s
persecution has now brought Mario Spezi to the brink of ruin. Despite a
long and honorable career, Mario has trouble finding work because
newspapers are afraid to hire a journalist charged with murder. His
home has been searched by police and his papers seized. His health has
been affected; last year he nearly died of a pulmonary infection which
his doctors thought was partly due to an immune system compromised by
stress. The legal bills have left him economically devastated and close
to losing his home. He lives in constant fear of arrest. The police
have tapped his telephone and bugged his car, videotaped his movements,
and questioned his family and friends.

Because, of course, it is far easier to take the complex, conspiracy-laden route and accuse an honorable journalist of outlandish crimes than it is to prosecute the likeliest suspect, whom Preseton and Spezi identified in their book. What angers me most is that just after our panel ended, I spent some minutes chatting with Spezi about the Kercher/Knox case, expressing my disbelief that Mignini's theories would be taken seriously after the Monster of Florence mess but never thinking Spezi would be caught in the vortex anew.

So here I am, full circle from a little over three years ago. One can only spread the word, yet again, so that Spezi will be left alone once and for all, justice can be served and Mignini's fixation on Satanic rites and needless persecution can be quashed.

Actually, the discussion board above is open to everyone. However, we are not interested in mindlessly taking sides in this convoluted case. We look at the evidence and the media coverage, and this has earned us the abiding hatred of the PR-driven effort to promote the idea that Knox is innocent and that the investigation carried out by the Italian police was motivated by some sort of conspiracy against Knox.

Ten different judges have independently ruled that the evidence against Knox and Sollecito was sufficient to proceed. They were indicted after a review of the case by an independent judge. Most importantly, the family of the victim - Meredith Kercher - has expressed its full faith in the Italian system of justice and the prosecutor. I'd like to say her name one more time - it's Meredith Kercher -- as a reminder that a brutal murder occurred, cutting her happy life short. She is the victim. Knox and Sollecito are getting a fair trial and will be exonerated if they had nothing to do with her death.

Prosecutor Mignini has been the target of a smear campaign in the United States; it's all in a day's work of selling books, in my opinion.
The post above was clearly written by someone who is very threatened by what we do on our message board -- that is, look at the evidence and the spin.

You have to wonder what these people are so threatened by. Could it be free speech?

We have more than 400 members from all over the world and welcome anyone who is capable of civil discussion about the facts.

I am incensed by the above poster who has the gall to say that Mignini is some sort of victim in a smear campaign. Notice she is too cowardly to actually comment as to the unconscionable actions of this prosecutor against such a treasured journalist. It speaks volumes about one's credibility and is downright sickening that anyone who could read your post could sit there and defend this man.

These online resources are not for profit. Anyone can read and/or participate and people from around the world do. They have followed this case since November 2007, and are in no way related to Amanda Knox. Nor are they her friends

I would need to ascertain the facts before saying anything about the long and complex relationship between Spezi and Mignini.

The smear campaign against Miginini in the US, related to the murder of Meredith Kercher, is a fact. It seems to have failed, however. It was spearheaded by a group called FOA (Friends of Amanda) and, if I am not mistaken, Doug Preston is a member of this group. Incidentally, I would be happy to be corrected on this latter point if my information is erroneous. But my current understanding is that he is a member.

My larger point is just that there is more to this than meets the eye. The most recent news I read in the Italian press indicated that Spezi had been charged with trying to illegally tape a meeting with Mignini. I haven't read anything about pending murder charges against Spezi, but I'll keep looking for a legitimate source that can confirm or disconfirm this information. Does anyone have access to a neutral source? I'm interested in finding out the truth.

Amazing how the "writer" Peggy Ganong and infamous troll Harry Rag rushed over here, when they are tireless critics of Doug Preston and Mario Spezi. And now Peggy admits that she knows nothing! Well, lots of people figured that one put long ago! Truly shameless

This is all so fascinating to me, and at the same time, I feel guilty for writing that. Guilty for treating it as a fascinating intellectual exercise when one life was cut brutally short, and others hang in the balance.

Regardless, the famous quote that our system of justice is the worst in the world, except for all the others, as well as ten long years in the legal profession mean that I can't discount the possibilities either way.

The information given in the initial post is at least sufficient to cause me some concern. The coverage has indeed been somewhat sensationalistic with respect to the Knox trial -- cartwheels? Please.

The Times (see above link) has done a good precis of the case and evidence.

I know many think the Italians have been on some sort of Anti-American witch-hunt. All I have to say to that is denial is not a river in Egypt.

Come on, folks. There is no reasonable explanation for trying to finger her boss for the crime - or for the cartwheels or flirting in court.

There is more to this story than what emerged at trial. I suspect one day, we will hear how she was abused etc as a child and that she should have run a diminished responsibility defence rather than "I didn't do it".

The way some people are working themselves into a state of hysteria over this, you would think Meredith Kercher tortured and raped herself before cutting her own throat just to inspire anti-American feelings in Italy.

I am an Irishman living in Italy, after three years here I can tell you that the idea of them sending an Italian to Jail for 25 years without clear evidence is not credible.Amanda Knox and the others who were involved in this case demonstrated a constant ambiguity with the truth that would never be accepted by a court anywhere in the world.If it had been a Mexican accused of killing an American with this evidence there would not be a single voice of protest.

This Peggy Ganong is probably jealous of cute girls and is on a crusade to smear them. Italian forensics gets an 'F' for its incompetence. Mignini is a rotten bum. The Italian legal system is messed up. The Kercher family should've been happy to know that the one and only murderer, Rudy Guede, was convicted. Amanda, you are a beautiful and intelligent young woman, and Meredith in Heaven knows that you're being railroaded.

I keep seeing similar postings whenever there is an online discussion of this case suggesting an unhealthy amount of obsession with the morbid details of this case. How sad for everyone actually involved that these voyeurs have interjected themselves so squarely in the middle of this. This is all very sad.

Americans do not forget their own anywhere and IF this Officer of the Italian Government is indeed behaving criminally against an American THEN you can count on him being exposed and brought to justice eventually. You can just look at the history in other cases, and one day everyone looks back and wonders how could such a person continue on in office for so long. And yes there is Hillary Clinton who could take something like this personally on her watch.

All things shall be brought to the light... it won't just go away as the wrongdoers hope. No spin needed.

Don't send Mignini to jail! Who will save Italy from all the Satanists? Who will be there to wiretap journalists? Who will put a chilling effect on any journalist who dares speak against him on Italian soil? Who will arrest a man without 1st checking into his alibi, or looking for actual evidence at the crime scene? Who will make sure a 20 year old girl doesn't get an attorney during extensive interrogations because (loophole alert) no one make her a suspect? Who will lead a nonsensical investigation so full of logical gaps that even Massei disagrees with his bogus motive?

The writing is on the wall. Amanda Knox and Raffaele will win their appeals. It's time to take off the blinders.

Who started the smear campaign? I'd say it was Mignini, failed prosecutor of The Monster of Florence. Failed. As in could not get one single guilty verdict.

truthjustice.org "Paola’s memory of arriving at the cottage just before one is supported by the activation of Meredith’s cell phone at 1300".

There is nothing in Meredith's records about either of her phones being activated at 13:00. Where did this come from? I have the records. It's not there. Meredith's Vodafone was off Nov 1 & 2.

The UK phone remained on until the battery went dead or someone turned it off between 12:11:54 and 12:43.

Meredith's UK phone was found at 12:07 when Amanda called her the first time. The phone rang 16 seconds and Amanda heard the simulated ringing sound for ~21.5 seconds. Not 3 seconds as the truthjustice site said.

Ms Lanna's daughter was on the phone with her mother at 12:11 when Amanda called Meredith's UK phone the second time. Her mother was shopping at this time. Mrs. Lanna delivered the UK phone to the postal police station at 12:46. The UK phone received a call at 12:43 and connected with a cell tower that indicates the phone was not at the police station at 12:43. So tell me how the postal police arrived with the UK phone at 12:35 when it was not in their possession until 12:46?? Witnesses testified the postal police were showing two phones and asking who the phones belonged to.

Judge Micheli refers to a call made by the family at 11:50 and reasoned based on this call that the police knew of the second phone around 12:00 however the girl that found the phone said she found it ringing as Amanda was calling Meredith. That call was made at 12:07.

BTW. There is no record of Filomena calling Meredith one time although it was reported she called at 12:15 then again at 12:30. Filomena may have called meredith at 12:43 howeer the answering service took the call and the caller ended the call before data was recorded. Nobody called Meredith's phones around 12:15 or 12:30.

The fact is nobody knew exactly what time they arrived at the girls apartment. I think Battistelli lied about arriving at 12:35 and I think he lied in court about not entering the crime scene. The witnesses there testified that he did. I think Battistelli was highly involved in the frame up.

Amanda and Raffaele are the only two people that are held accountable for not knowing exactly what time every event occured but it is understandable that other people don't know and when the time of an event is not known the prosecution assumed a time of occurence based on magic or something. Foe example they said Meredith's time of death was 11:31 pm. How in the world did they come up with that number? There is absolutely nothing what so ever to relate it to. Nothing.

They said three people killed Meredith. They have absolutely nothing credible to base that on. When a medical examiner disagerred with this he was fired.

MERSDITH'S TIME OF DEATH LIE: 6+3=11
FROM JUDGE MICHELI'S REPORT: Starting with the investigations, the Public Prosecutor and the Judicial Police proceeded to reconstruct the movements of the girl [ Meredith ] in the last hours of life, it is also the assumptions made by CT coroner point of time of death, to be placed at a distance of no more than 2 or 3 hours after last meal, and would probably be understood took place at around 23:00 [ 11 pm ]

FROM JUDGE MICHELI'S REPORT: On 17 November, P. [Sophie Purton] made a new prosecuting magistrate deposition, confirming the initial statements without time to clarify where the four friends had begun to eat in the house of A. [ Amy Frost] and R.[Robyn Butterworth] (perhaps 18:00 [ 6 pm ]

Note: Meredith was one of the four friends that ate at 6 pm.

Those not familiar with this case may ask why 6+3=11. It is because when the crime lab analyzed Raffaele's hard drive they determined he logged on the intrnet at 9:10 pm, and he watched a cartoon until 9:46 pm, so the authorities had to establish a time of death when Amanda and Raffaele did not have an alibi. So 6+3=11.
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I found this "10 p.m.-11p p.m. Time of death, based on the last cellphone call".

Meredith Kercher timeline: Her last 12 hours
blog.seattlepi.com
By Candace Dempsey
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THE FOLLOWING IS FROM PART 4 MOTIVATION DOCUMENT:

The reconstruction for which the death of Meredith is located a few minutes after 23.30 is also confirmed in the data as it tanatocronologici has already had occasion to note, as well as in the following circumstances highlighted in relevant chapters:
English of the phone 22:13:19 Meredith had a connection to the GPRS duration of 9 seconds, under the cover of the cell Wind with the final number 30064th compatible with the Chamber of Meredith's house Via mail neil'abitazione della Pergola 7, the next phone contact that same cell takes place at 0:10:13 on the day November 2, 2007 and the cell is attached with the final number 25622nd giving coverage to the villa in Via Sperandio and is incompatible with the house on Via della Pergola.

Consequently at 22:13:19 This situation was still calm and Meredith P may themselves fiddling with his cell phone seconds As you have seen in the chapter devoted to the examination of English phone memory of Meredith; 0:10:31 to the phone was not in the house in Via della Pergola: a hour Meredith must have been killed and then seized and its phones thrown away.

Note: This is so stupid I can believe anyone would be expected to buy into this crap. Are we to believe Meredith "fiddling" with her phone accidentally called her voice-mail and immediately hing up pr accidentally called her bank in the UK and and accidentally entered the wrong area code for the UK. Give me a break. I'm not that stupid.
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I've spent over 1000 hours studying the evidence. After collecting the evidence and connecting the dots the following is my conclusion.
A lot of hard work, as intended, is required to understand what happened, but what happened is very simple. Guede was desperate for money because the cops caught him with items he stole from a law office, and he needed get out of town! Guede watched the girl's secluded apartment several days, then one evening around 8:40 pm, Nov 1, 2007, he busted the window, and climbed in a few minutes before Meredith unexpectedly came home. He was just getting started plundering Filomena's room when he had the need to go to the toilet. When he heard Meredith come in he got quiet. She borrowed Amanda's lamp as she walked to her room, not knowing he was there. She called her mom from her room at 8:56 pm and seconds later he surprise attacked her, interrupting the call before her mom could answer. Guede ended the call and very soon he ended her life. He﻿ acted alone out of greed and desperation. This is exactly what all the evidence points to. http://www.injusticeinperugia.org/index.html

Hi Irishman whose been living in Italy for three years. I'm Irish and lived there for ten years and the moment I read about the drug-fueled sex orgy theory I knew it was pure fantasy being played to the press . One day you'll wake up to the reality of your precarious predicament. In the meantime, take the advice of an Italian friend in Florence. Don't ever look a cop in the eye. You could get arrested, the paperwork lost and you'd eventually be stitched up. Mind yourself, now.

As for Harry Rag, or "The Machine" as he also likes to call himself, here's yet another supporter of a hate mob who buys into the excesses of the British gutter press. The man appears to me to be filled with hatred for Amanda Knox and, as his hero Mignini seems to me, is not in the slightest bit interested in who really killed Meredith Kercher. The Knox-as-witch version makes a better story for trash Anglo tabloids.